pet your pup to lose weight?
lowering your carb cravings and blood pressure are just a few of the benefits to cuddling up with fifi…
by Cory Van Rooyen
In my Junior High science class we each had to perform "controlled" experiments as one of our class projects. I'll never forget the test that one of my classmates ran; his mother was a nurse so he decided to test which of several activities caused a person's blood pressure to lower the fastest. After comparing a number of relaxing activities including TV watching, laying in bed, and sitting in a hot tub, the results came back to show the most relaxing activity of all (and the best for lowering blood pressure) is petting your dog. We were all amazed, and did not realize how advanced this experiment actually was.
As a validation of my childhood classmate's experiment, MSNBC recently reported on a study done by the University of Missouri-Columbia suggesting there are hormonal changes that occur when we interact with our dogs. This change can actually help a person cope with depression and certain stress-related disorders. The preliminary findings of this study have shown that a few minutes of stroking your dog prompts a release of a number of "feel good" hormones including serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin. And a few loving strokes can decrease levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone and the adrenal chemical responsible for regulating appetite and carbohydrate cravings.
Research is also being done to prove that 'therapy dogs' truly help people. If this idea can become main-stream, we might see doctors prescribing it and insurance companies reimbursing for the treatments. Molly and I visit children's schools and are starting to visit adult centers, developmentally disabled schools, and children's hospitals. Molly actually loves these trips, as she definitely enjoys all the attention. I do it for the personal gratification I receive while watching people interact with Molly. If you have a dog that might enjoy this type of interaction, I would highly recommend you look into it. Please see below for recommended reading materials.
While it's now easy to see how the simple act of petting your dog benefits humans, this attention and love has also been found to help reduce your dog's blood pressure. Here are examples where sitting down with your dog and showing them a little loving touch can help our dogs:
• Does your dog get nervous during their veterinarian visit?
• Is your dog recovering from a surgery?
• Will your dog over react when company comes to your house?
• Introducing a new pet to your house?
• Traveling with your dog?
• Depressed?
Of course this does not mean you should take your dog off his anti-depressant or other medication. However, giving that extra attention and affection to your dog in conjunction with your veterinarian prescribed treatment may improve the health of both you and your dog.
This is yet another example of the important role that man's best friend can play in our lives. If you would like to learn more about the study by the University of Missouri-Columbia, please visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4625213/